Do Your Teeth Hurt After Your Orthodontic Adjustment? Here’s Why

Your orthodontic journey consists of many things, and one of those things is an adjustment appointment every now and then. After the adjustment appointment, your teeth most likely feel sore and tender. This is to be expected, especially because it’s a sign that your teeth are moving. To explain why you feel this discomfort, our orthodontist, Dr. Joseph A. Wilson, is happy to give you the details you need.

When you come into our office for your adjustment appointment, our orthodontist will tighten the wires and apply more pressure to the teeth. This can create some inflammation around the roots of the teeth because the force pushes or pulls them, cutting off the blood circulation to the tissues of the teeth. During this process, lactic acid builds up around the teeth, which is the same acid that forms when you have sore muscles. This will create a cramping feeling around the tooth.

Your teeth, smile, and body will adjust to the pressure in about 24 to 48 hours. This is the case because the underlying jawbone will dissolve in the area where there is pressure. As it dissolves, it also remodels itself, relieving the pressure, making you feel better, and supporting the new position of the tooth. This process might repeat itself depending on the severity of the tooth misalignment and the amount of pressure applied.

To learn more about why your teeth might hurt when you have braces in Farmington, New Mexico, please reach out to our orthodontic team at your earliest convenience. All you need to do is contact Orthodontics, Inc. at 505-325-8858 and we will be more than happy to help you!